NBA power rankings: Detroit Pistons in bottom 5

AP File PhotoGreg Monroe has been one of the few bright spots this season for coach Lawrence Frank and the Detroit Pistons, according to some NBA power rankings

A sampling of this week's NBA power
rankings show the Detroit Pistons rated among the bottom five teams
in the NBA. That's not much of a surprise given the Pistons 2-7
record and four straight one-sided losses.

Only the Washington Wizards (0-8) have
won fewer games than the Pistons.

Based on their average ranking from 10
websites we polled, the Pistons are the 27th best team in
the 30-club NBA. They were ranked No. 28 by five websites, 27th
by another and No. 26th in the other four.

Miami (8-1) was a consensus No. 1 while
Chicago (8-2) and Oklahoma City (8-2) round out the top three based
on their averages.

Portland (6-2) and Denver (6-3) — Denver?
Really? — were the only teams to crack the top three in any of the
10 sets of rankings.

At the other end, teams that checked in
below the Pistons in the various rankings were Washington, New Jersey
(2-8), Golden State (2-6), Charlotte (2-7), Houston (2-6) and New
Orleans (3-6).

Here's where the Pistons are ranked:

• WEEI sports radio out of Boston has the
Pistons 28th. The reasoning? “The Pistons are the
anti-Bobcats. They're not good and they're dreadful to watch.
Lawrence Frank has a lot of work to do.” (Charlotte ranked one spot
ahead of the Pistons and was called “entertaining” by WEEI.)

• Britt Robson of CNN had the Pistons 26th. Robson said “The
front office has a gem in Greg Monroe, a smooth, poised, versatile
big man who is playing as if the NBA game has slowed down
considerably for him in his second season.”

• NBA.com has the Pistons 26th as well. It's assessment
included this: “When a good defensive coach meets a bad defensive
team, something has to give. Lawrence Frank is currently losing the
battle but the Pistons have one of the league's toughest schedules.”

• ESPN.com has the Pistons 28th, down two spots from last week.
Why? “The Pistons have absorbed a few too many shellackings lately — three in a row, to be precise — to get overly excited about Ben
Gordon's back-to-respectable start or what teasingly looked like a
turn-the-corner home win over Dwight Howard and the Magic.”

• NBCSports.com has the Pistons 28th, the same as last week.
“Got the win against Orlando because Greg Monroe could single cover
Dwight Howard and when you can do that you beat the Magic. Aside
(from) that they got crushed by everyone else.”

• USA Today has the Pistons 26th. “Scoring is also a
problem for the Pistons but young big man Greg Monroe and Jonas
Jerebko are turning into fine scorers and rebounders.”'

• Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer has the Pistons 26th
as well: “Pistons can thank the Cavs, who took Indiana to OT, for
that win over the Pacers.” (By the way, this is where Denver showed up at No. 3.)

• Matt Moore of CBSSports.com ranked the Pistons 28th, down
four spots from last week. His reasoning? Well, there wasn't any.
Just this mental picture: “(Matt stares at the lineup data … Matt
pounds his head against the desk.)”

• FoxSports.com has the Pistons 27th and offers the most
biting commentary: “Brandon Knight has been great but let's hope
he's not overly influenced by Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon, who
continue to steal money from ownership and fans.”

• Newsday ranked the Pistons 28th, down four spots from last
week: “A pair of impressive wins against the Pacers and Magic have
been sandwiched by six ugly losses. Detroit is averaging a
league-worst 84.3 points per game.”